#also Lucien Dodge's voice

[meansary]

Hi! I know you like publishing doodles in the Octopath traveler fandom, but maybe would you like to draw some art with The Glitterati in your new style please? Yes the Dance Central fandom is dead unfortunately, but Kerith and Jaryn are really awesome

Sorry to disappoint you but my current artstyle wouldn't change how I perceive the twins😅

Their face features were never the reason I loved them back then. It was their evil personality, sassiness and glamour.

[kastillia]

[funishment-time]

god bless Erica Mendez who got paid to sigh and be annoyed into a mic. Maki is a gem. not a particularly nice gem but some diamonds are made for Cutting

[koko-heads]

i got lucien dodge (yuma's va) to mention yuma in his stream i win

[zuble]

as a danganronpa veteran i have to play rain code when it comes out

[wayward-delver]

The Canaries Dub voices:

Mithrun — Khoi Dao.) His other well-known roles are Albedo from Genshin and Rei Kiriyama from March Comes In Like A Lion. He’s actually dating the Izutsumi VA.

Pattadol — Jennifer Sun Bell.) She also voices Maizuru, and these are her first major roles.

Otta — Jenny Yokobori.) She also voices Rin and Hein. Her other well-known roles are Yoimiya from Genshin and Kuromi in Hello Kitty Adventures.

Fleki — Xanthe Huynh.) She also voices Tade. Her most well-known role is Haru Okumura from Persona 5.

Cithis — Rebeka Thomas.) She also voices Thistle. Her most well-known role is Krone from The Promised Neverland.

Lycion — Lucien Dodge.) His other well-known roles are Mahito from JJK, Felix from Fire Emblem, and KIIBO from Danganronpa.

[acotarxreader]

Shadow and Flame pt 2

Azriel X Reader

Warnings: Angst, mentions of burns

A/N: thank you for making me feel so welcomed into this realm of fanfiction. Requests are also open. I'm writing part 3 as we speak.

Part One

--------------------------

A month had passed since that encounter, wreaking havoc on Azriels mind. Feyre redrew you once Lucien bolted away, the drawing now rarely separated from Azriels pocket. Lucien had dodged the Inner Circle for the majority of the month, only giving audiences to the High Lord and Lady in strict confidence and on the condition that they wouldn't mention his outburst.

Lucien left such a meeting in River House late one evening, balancing a tall stack of notes as he strode down the pathway. A scarred hand met the side of the papers dead on, sending them fluttering all over the garden.

“Azriel! For fuck sake, uncalled for!” Lucien stooped to gather the papers that laid in arms reach, Azriels boot landing square on top of a stack. 

“Who is she Lucien?”

“I don't know what you're talking about” he batted the boot back, gathering what he could and snapping a finger at the rest, all of them stacking themselves neatly at his feet again.

“Yes you do” Azriel seethed, kicking the stacked papers back again.

“Seriously Azriel, these are confidential!”

“Just like that female it would seem” Lucien sighed in reply to him

“I just…it's just not important who she is, trust m-” Azriels loud clear laugh cut across him. 

“Lucien please don't make such ridiculous statements, I have no trust in you” Azriels tone switched almost eerily to cold again. Lucien thought to himself that statement was precisely why he wouldn't tell him who you were. They had no trust. 

“You do not want to spend time on this female, she will never be yours or anyone's, I -”

“Ah so a failed courting with another Fae is the source of your silence?” Lucien glared at Azriel as if to explode his mind with his one russet eye. 

“Rich coming from you Shadowsinger” Azriel couldn't help himself, he shoved Lucien back where he stood for his comments before catching hold of his jacket and hauling him forward to him again. 

“Who is she?” He gritted out between his teeth.

“She's not Elain and that's what still matters to you deep down” Azriel dropped Lucien's collar in almost shock at his boldness, a smugness grew across Lucien's face. 

“Now if you'll excuse me Shadowsinger, I have to pay someone a visit” he snapped his fingers once again, the papers folding in on one another into a neat cube, easily fit inside his jacket pocket.

“So not only do you know who she is, you know where she is” heat radiated from Azriel.

“Information for those who trust me it seems” Lucien left with a wide grin, enjoying the upper hand on the Illyrian, winnowing out before he could be caught again by him. 

***************

You lounged across the deep amber sofa of your study, a book of maps weighing heavy on your lap. Your eyes landed on a blank northern territory you knew to be Valeris, a small smile growing on your face as you traced it with your finger. 

“Y/N!” Your body almost vibrated as Luciens voice echoed through the door. You were mentally cursing yourself as you rushed to tidy your books.

“Yes Luc” you batted your eyelashes at him after opening the door of the study allowing him in.

“Don't Luc me! Care to tell me where you've been?” he slammed the door behind him.

“I don't care to tell you that at all” you slowly sank back into the sofa, his russet eye cutting into you. 

“Y/N, I know where you've been and that you were seen”

“A minor inconvenience” 

“The Shadowsinger is not a minor inconvenience, he's infatuated with you”

“He is?” You feigned school girl excitement at the idea of it even though deep down you didn't believe all of the acting was fake. Lucien paced in front of you almost frantically.

“Luc, you worry yourself grey, I have no intention of being seen again”

“Good, I forbid it”

“You forbid it?” You raised an eyebrow, a hand going to your hip as you stood again.

“Yes, you are not to go to Velaris, you are not to be around the Night Court or its members and you are to stay here in Autumn where you don't cause me headaches” he dug deep into his temple trying to calm his energy back to earth. 

“Careful, you're beginning to sound like Father” he huffed out at this, throwing himself down on the sofa, eyes landing on the vast maps before him. Stars littered across the topography, all indications of where you had visited. He buried the sad smile growing on his face, the places you had gone that you never thought you'd see, the freedom his sacrifices had afforded you. 

“And hide these, Father will have you married off to the next fool he sees if he sees these travels” you scoffed, rolling the map up and sending it away in controlled flames. 

“He'll have me married off soon regardless of these, I might as well get it over with now”

“Nonsense YN, he is preoccupied with our wonderful siblings coming for his throat. I will keep you from that as long as I can” your face softened, you knew he didn't believe his own words so how could you. 

The only daughter of the Court of Autumn, a hushed away kept secret to everyone but those who lived and worked in the manor, a pawn for later use. A secret weapon as your father referred to you. 

“Eris will free me when he is High Lord, he has sworn, he is just waiting for the correct moment he tells me….as I rot here” you sighed, moving to the window of the study, the colours of Autumn painting the scene in front of you. 

“I will be the one to save you-”

“YOU HAVE LEFT ME! TWICE! I do not trust your words, they only have sway in your precious Spring and Night Court” you whipped around to your brother, closing the distance once again as he stood in reaction, your small flames dancing around your feet ready to bite. 

“YN-”

“No, go now, run along to your freedom while I steal away moments in flame. You've issued your ultimatum, run along Emissary” you said it like the swear it was to you. Enough you had had enough, vanishing into flame leaving your brother to his own thoughts once again. 

*****

Azriel sat atop a mountain's rocky ground, looking down at Valeris, taking a deep drink from his canteen, instantly refilling itself again with cold water. His eyes sinking in on themselves, world-weary from his hunt for you. He expanded past Valeris and deep into the Night Court and beyond with no avail. He had begun to believe it was all an illusion. The chill of the growing night encapsulated him as he struck a match off the bottom of his shoe and threw it into some dried wood of a long forgotten fire pit. He had come here so often before with his brother's before their mates entered the scene. Night after night under the stars talking and fighting and messing around, a time lost to his youth now. A chill ran through his wings as he turned his back to the fire, splaying them to bask in the heat as he deeply exhaled releasing weeks of stress from his lungs. 

“Nice wings bat boy” Azriel leapt up to his feet with eye watering speed, his wings once again safely tucked in as he span in warrior stance to the voice behind him. You put your hands up in truce giving a small laugh at the sight of him, trying to not let your breath hitch at the pure beauty of him in flame light. 

“You”

“Me” you smiled at his wide eyes. 

“How did you get here, why are you here?” 

“Always the questions with you Shadowsinger, I heard you're infatuated with me, wanted to make your evening and as for how I got here, I don't feel like divulging that just yet to you” you smiled. His eyes fixated on you, as if afraid to blink because you'd disappear. You didn't know this is where you would land when you jumped into flame earlier. You just wanted somewhere safe. Your brother's words had sent your blood boiling. 

You stalked around the fire pit, watching the flames leap up to meet your ankles, wishing to feel at home with you as you gave an empathetic smile to them. You kicked in some more kindling gently and it burst as if in thanks to you. 

“I am not infatuated with you” Azriel spoke slowly and unsure of himself, a strange feeling for him. He watched you move back again from the fire pit as if to turn and go again.

“Okay then maybe Ill just g-”

“No!” He cut across too eager and mentally cursed himself out for showing his cards. You gave a small laugh to him, your eyes dipping to the fire and back to find him gone from the spot.

“You're not the only one that can move with ease” he came suddenly next to you with a grin, startling you slightly. 

“Ah yes your famous moves, known all over” your heart fluttered slightly at his close proximity, widening his grin. Maybe this was a mistake, ever so slight panic rising in you.

“Don't go, you have that look in your eye again” his words caught you off guard, was he in your head? You didn't think that a power he possessed. 

“I go where I please” 

“So it seems” his face glowed in the flame, almost beckoning you in closer to him. Mere inches from touching, Azriels skin felt alight with fire. Who were you? Why wouldn't you tell him? 

“Tell me your name” 

“I already told you that I'd have to kill you then”

“Then so be it” his scared hand caught hold of your wrist, sending alarm bells through you mind. Go go go they screamed. You glanced quickly at the flame, Azriel again seemingly reading your mind, mapping your movement. He grabbed the canteen on his hip and doused the fire out, it's hissing like screaming in your ears. You jolted back from him in almost anger. You were trapped on this mountain with the infamous Shadowsinger, revered for his ruthlessness and yet you felt as though he wouldn't hurt you as you were both plunged into darkness of the woods.

“Now, tell me your name and I'll relight it” 

“Fine, I'm tiring of this game, it's Y-”

“YN!!!” Your head whipped around in the direction of pure male rage coming from the woods behind you. Any and all ounce of ease drained along with the colour in your face. You looked at the doused fire for any semblance of remaining flame to find it snuffed out. Azriel couldn't hide his alarm and disgust at the way the male said such a beautiful name in such a disgusting way.

“Go Azriel quick!”

“No!” You shoved him back at his protest, the shouting males voice growing in volume at the closing in proximity.

“Who is that!?” He watched the fear in your copper eyes come to life before you reached for his hand, pulling him down deep into the woods. He dug his heels deep into the softened moss stopping you dead in your tracks.

“I do not run from confrontation Y….YN” you loved the way your name sounded from him, soft and delicate, almost loved, almost giving new meaning to your name. 

“Please Azriel, he'll kill me if he finds me here, especially with you” 

“No one will harm you while you're with me-”

“It's when I'm not with you that he'll hurt me” you couldnt hide the tremble in your voice, Azriels eyes softened, the shouting of your name echoing through the woods filling the space. 

“Come with me” Lucien winnowed from seemingly nowhere alongside the two of you giving you both a fright, annoyance and haste written across his face. You instinctively dropped Azriels hand, he instantly missed you there, he replaced your hand with Truth Teller, angled at Lucien.

“She goes no where without me” he bit.

“We don't have time for this Azriel. Come YN, I felt your terror-”

“How?” Azriel cut across him, fears raising, had they a bond? Had Lucien two mates he thought. The thought sent his anger building.

Fire flowed through the trees, burning through a patch towards the three of you. You felt ill at the sight of your Father's flames. 

“Meet me at the townhouse Azriel, we can discuss this little rendezvous there, she comes with me” his harsh tone cut into Azriel before Lucien caught you roughly and tried to winnow away. 

“Azriel, go, I'll be okay with Lucien” Azriel hated the sight, the feelings of uselessness but your tone of self assuredness gave him some comfort.

“Fine but she ends up hurt Emissary and you'll never feel more regret in your life” he bit, dissolving into shadow. 

“Lucien, we have to split up. You know he'll be harder on me if youre with me, go!” You shoved him and to your surprise he listened, winnowing out as your father approached. He left you again, he would always leave you. 

An idea coming to you at the sight of your father's flames finally catching up to you. You dived. Dived into the crucifying pain of this flame, your portal out. Normally comfort was found by you in fire but not this flame, it split through you, trying to strangle you as you made your way through its thick thorn like tendrils. 

You didn't know where it was bringing you, pulling against it to not go where it wanted you. This fire was not your friend, this fire was there to smother you. You needed out. Out. Out. You reached through its molasses like texture for any way but the way it tried to drag you.

Your body landed with a thud on the steps alongside the lanterns that lit the garden path. Your flesh cracked and split along every inch. You were seized with pain, no idea if you had avoided risk or fallen into somewhere worse. A blood curdling screech made its way through your damaged ears. Elain screamed blue murder from the mouth of the garden, dropping her water can to splash everywhere, it's soothing waters not quite making it to you. You only remember the feeling of soothing scarred frantic hands reaching for you. Then darkness. 

-----------------------

Let me know what you think :D

Part 3

Tag: @sunshineangel-reads @skylarkalchemist @tele86

[sidecharactersdomatter]

Thoughts I had during TGCF S2 Ep 6

Previously on TGCF…

This is gonna be epic!!!

Cw: Past homicide

-That’s Yong’An in its heyday 

-Sparrows

-Fang Xin

-It’s Qianqiu’s assistant from Eps 1-2!

-Young Qianqiu is literally me in my Freshman year of High School during the first semester

-His butterfly shaped mask

-Writing the Laozi 10 times has the energy of making a kid stay in class and write a sentence over and over on the chalkboard till they’ve learned their lesson (Literally every Simpsons opening)

-He doubled it

-Imagine if Piandao talked to Sokka like that when beginning his sword training

-Man wonder who voices Young!Qianqiu?

-I mean the move could also get you hurt if you’re careless

-This is the Ancient Chinese version of the trolley problem, same analogy though

-I like to think this advice was taught to Zuko and Sokka when they were learning swordsmanship

-See, trolley problem esque

-Good advice to not intervene

-More dead bodies

-Oh no and that was his Dad

-That’s when the survivor’s guilt set in

-I can see why Xie Lian and Hua Cheng are perfect for each other, they both have a freaking high kill count

-Just like when Bruce Wayne lost his parents

-What did he say?

-He’s not a monster

-That was during his second ascenscion

-That’s gonna be a bad outcome

-“I wish to be stripped of my divinity” Literally every fangirl’s brain drifted to something else when he said that.  Just look at Kictor and Stitch

-Doesn’t seem like he earned it at all

-He just wants to get out of the drama

-If there was a modern AU, you know Shi Qingxuan would make an awesome and wealthy defense attorney

-There’s the Amongus quote

-Dang no answer

-There’s Prosecutor Pei Ming, that’s a good nickname.

-He made a solid point

-That’s the result of the Fang Xin trial with XL on house arrest and a restraining order from Taihua

-He made another enemy

-Aaaa pickle jar, better believe it Qingxuan

-How is she going to get air???

-That upset Qingxuan, Feng Xin, and Mu Qing

-The interior looks hollow in Xie Lian’s palace

-That’s coming out of Qingxuan’s pockets

-He deserves the apology hun

-He’s doing it, he’s doing the iconic old time Put your head between your arms against a flat surface like a Disney Princess!

-He still has the dice

-It’s snake eyes!

-Hi Mu Qing

-Stick it to Jun Wu, Mu Qing

-I know right, it did NOT seem like a healing spell at all

-Wonder if I can conceptualize a similar healing potion for TOH MTC…?

-You just had to ask him that didn’t you?

-Hi Feng Xin

-A guest who invited himself inside

-Welp he really was honest

-Seriously, Mu Qing you couldn’t have felt bad for his house arrest

-Xie Lian’s trying to mediate again

-Mu Qing’s response had bite to it

-One Punch!!!

-Fist Fight!  Fist Fight!

-“You’re a hypocrite, you’ve always looked down on me, but you’re not better than I am!!!”  Oh my gods, Lucien Dodge freaking delivered!!!

-“Enough…” Oh man, Xie Lian’s emotions

-The Junior Officials witnessing the Generals fisticuffs:

Feng Xin!  Feng Xin!  Feng Xin!

Mu Qing!  Mu Qing!  Mu Qing!

-“Did it really have to come to violence?” Yeah it pretty much did. - Iroh, dragon of the West, the Waterbending scroll

-Mu Qing: Fine I’ll break your face

Feng Xin: Not if I break yours first!  It’s too late to beg for mercy!  

That’s what I translated to the best of my skills during Xie Lian’s internal monologue

-He’s like a parent that’s disappointed with his two kids constantly at odd

-Don’t worry, hon what’s really gonna help them is Couples’ therapy, and I’d hate to be that therapist

-A dramatic sound effect!

-I can’t wait to write the Gaang’s reaction to the Wraith Butterflies

-That was a cool shield spell

-I love how the butterflies are easily dodging Xie Lian, but are charging toward Mu Qing and Feng Xin to scare the sh*t outta them

-He’s gonna hold one of the butterflies, he’s holding one of the butterflies, yeah too late man AND HE’S NUZZLING THE WINGTIPS WITH HIS NOSE Cue keyboard smash! WAE TESDHGFYFJ. RYGJ GUFTDRSSDFAEGRRESVGTGTRS DFGSTRWG EIEEEIIIIIIIEEEEEE!!! I always love this joke, no matter how old it’s gonna get in my reaction posts.

-Yeah he’s just going

-The real reason this episode took so long to air last year was that the animators had to get the waist snatch scene past censorship to spite their censor companies for not having Xie Lian fall into Hua Cheng’s lap in Eps 4-5.

-Xie Lian: Hello Again, Literally me: HAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! (This is the same noise Eleanor Shellstrop made when she was gifted a Shrimp Dispenser in The Good Place)

-They’re just backing up

-You two had one job!  Looking at you Feng Xin and Mu Qing!  I see ya

-He’s just tugging his sleeve as they’re walking

-Man, it’s like Hua Cheng took Little John’s advice from Robin Hood 1973 to “Climb the palace walls.  *Tosses out Gross Carrot* Sweep him off his feet, carry him off in style.” - Little John, Disney Robin Hood (1973) (Best Disney film hands down, freaking fight me if you dare)

-That must’ve hurt his ears

-Y’all had one job

-Feng Xin is just worried

-*Hua Cheng has entered the chat*  Like a goat!

-The subtle eye contact and expression he shared with Xie Lian!

-Some of the 33 gods he defeated are also in the chat

-That shook the veils

-Won’t that be pain in his mind?

-Looks like he saved you yeah

-A flashback from Ep 5!

-Touchstarved!  Touchstarved!  (Try prying this headcanon from my cold dead grip!)

-And here you’re about to see Howard Wang’s best performance in the series so far

-Best apology I’ve ever heard in media

-It healed that fast

-Petition to have James Cheek voice an iconic lead character in a Shakespeare play?

-Aw, they were actually both at fault for what happened

-You can actually feel Hua Cheng’s Shame

-E Ming: Noooo…. You hurt him!  I hurt him!  We hurt him! AAAHHH!  *sobs*

Season 2 has fed us once more!  I’m still busy with writing the Scrap Immortal and the Avatar.  For writing inspiration, I’ll be busy rewatching Avatar:  The Last Airbender

[fieldofdaisiies]

for @polyacotarweek day 2: Comfort 🫂

“Lame!” Gwyn shouts, nothing but happiness is ringing in her voice. “Look at the fish laughing at you and your poor fishing skills.” 

Elain, her head resting on the priestess’s thigh burst into laughter, squeezing her eyes shut. 

Lucien only throws Gwyn a withering glare over his shoulder, his lips curled, and then flips her off. “Do it yourself, if you think you are better, Gwyneth!”

The large, lush green trees surrounding the crystal blue lake sway gently in the warm breeze, and blooming bushes with buzzing bees and bugs crowded around them fill out the spaces between them.

The air is filled with the joyful sound of chirping birds under the radiant sun, casting a warm glow upon the grass and the shimmering lake.

Gwyn inhales deeply, her soul smiling within her and the corners of her lips tip up. This is all she has ever hoped for — a perfect moment full of bliss and love. 

Then she straightens her shoulders, and her expression shifts, the former joy now replaced by challenge and determination. “Challenge accepted, Lucien.” 

She strokes her hand over Elain’s hair when the Archeron female tries to rise. “You’re going to help me?” Gwyn bites down on her lower lip, still sometimes wondering how she got so lucky to be with the two most wonderful people in all of Prythian. Elain is so beautiful, how she lies there in her lap, the sun making her skin glow and Gwyn’s heart starts to sing.

A grin spreads over Elain’s beautiful face. “Only if you give me a kiss.“

“Always,“ Gwyn giggles. She leans down, chasing the female’s lips, pressing a soft kiss against them. “Always and never enough,” she hums against Elain’s soft mouth, drawing in her scent and for a moment the world around them is forgotten. 

“One more,“ Elain whispers, when Gwyn wants to pull away. 

“One more,” Gwyn repeats, this time deepening the kiss. 

Together they rise from the blanket, some flowers and culms of grass falling to the ground. Gwyn pulls Elain along with her, both of them grabbing the hems of their dresses when they reach the water, stumbling into it, splashing around. 

There is a fire within Lucien’s eyes when he takes in his wives, the loves of his life, admiring them silently while they near him. 

They are beautiful - both in their own ways, but they also share many traits, Lucien thinks. Traits he has come to value greatly. He fell in love with every little thing about them, and calls himself the luckiest male to be able to spend his life with these two amazing females. 

Elain’s laughter is loud and vibrant when she stumbles into the water, Gwyn’s like a song, clear and bright. 

Lucien is grinning at them while they get closer, watching them struggle the slightest bit while wading through the knee-high water. 

“You are scaring my fish away.“

“You wouldn’t have caught any anyway.“ Gwyn pokes out her tongue and Elain’s laughter gets louder.

“She is not wrong, my love,“ the Archeron sister adds, reaching for Gwyn’s arm to steady herself for a moment. Gwyn provides her with the necessary support until Elain is steady on both her feet again.

“What a beautiful day,“ she hums, gaze moving Lucien to Gwyn and back to Lucien. „Would be a shame if it started raining and we all got wet.“

A vicious grin breaks out on her lips and before her two partners can protect themselves, Elain ducks down and scoops up two handfuls of water. At first she splashes water at her mate, then, with a wicked grin on her lips, turns around swiftly, and sends an equally large splash at Gwyn. 

“You are feisty,” Gwyn growls playfully and lunges forward, but Elain dodges her. Only to slip over a slick stone and slump into the water. Once her head pops over the surface again, and both Gwyn and Lucien know she is alright, they burst into alright. 

Elain looks too funny and adorable with her wet hair sticking to her skin, while she is trying to suck in some air. “So funny,” she groans, but still has to laugh, joining in with them. 

They continue, splashing water at one another, or dipping each other under the water, not too harshly or too much, but enough for it to be a whole lot of fun. 

The ducks and ducklings have fled the lake long ago, now watching their playful actions from the sides of the lake, while cleaning their feathers and letting them dry in the warm afternoon sun. 

By the time they leave the water, all three of them are completely soaked, water dripping from their clothes so it is only natural that they discard of their clothes (safe for their underwear) and lie down on the warm grass, not far apart but so close that they touch, seeking and finding comfort in the other’s presence. 

Elain’s head rests in Lucien’s solid, warm chest, Gwyn’s arm softly curled around her waist, the priestess’s face pressed into the crook of her neck. 

Birds hum in the distance, a cool breeze rustling the leaves on the tree. “Isn’t this perfect,” Elain hums, drawing idles circles around the belly button of her mate. “The three of us, here.”

Gwyn hums in approval, tightening her hold the slightest bit. “I think…no, I know that this is home. That I have finally arrived. That here with you two, I am safe. I am home. And I am feeling better and more alive than I have ever felt before.”

Elain folds her hand over Gwyn’s, squeezing it tightly. “No one will ever harm you again, my love. No one will ever touch you again, scare you again, or hurt you again. Never ever again.” She closes her eyes to fight the tears that start to burn in them at the thought of what happened to her wife. To her husband, her mate. “Neither of you will ever get hurt again. I will make sure you are safe. Safe with me. Forever.”

“Oh Elain,” Gwyn whispers, and the Archeron sister can hear it in the priestess voice that she is close to tears, her voice a tinge hoarse. “I know that I am safe with you. With the both of you.” Her lips brush Elain’s shoulder and she can feel her shudder, loving how Elain still reacts to such things. And she loves it. 

A comfortable silence falls over them, and slowly all three of them start to drift off into a peaceful slumber, exhausted from their former hike and their shenanigans in the water, the birds soft chirping and the sound of the bathing ducks that have eventually returned to the water, luring them into oblivion. Lucien’s soft snores accompany those of Elain and Gwyn, their chest rising and falling with deep inhales, until the sun starts to set. 

[nightcourtreader]

The similarities with Mor & Elain in regards to Azriel

Mor =red & Elain = pink.

Azriel’s shadows

* “Azriel arrived first, no shadows to be seen, my sister a pale, golden mass in his arms. Elain’s golden brown hair snagging in some of the black scales across his chest and shoulders” (pg 253, ACOWAR)

* “That smile grew, bright enough that it lit up even Azriel’s shadows across the room” (Pg 693, ACOWAR)

* Elain sucked in a breath that whispered over his skin. His shadows skittered back at the sound. They’d always been prone to vanish when she was around. (Az’s BC)

* “It was almost enough to distract me from noticing Azriel as those shadows lightened, and his gaze slid over Mor’s body” (pg 160, ACOMAF)

* “Mor patted Azriel on the shoulder as she dodged his outstretched wing. The lurking shadows vanished entirely as Azriel’s head dipped a bit.” (Pg 161, ACOMAF)

* “Yes—Azriel, who kept a step away, whose shadows trailed him and seemed to fade in her presence” (pg 239, ACOMAF)

* Azriel choked on what I could have sworn was a laugh, his normally shadowed face lightning up as Mor bustled in, pink with cold and puffing air into her hands. (Pg 100, ACOFAS)

Azriel refusing something on the behalf of them, despite them saying yes.

* “We could try again,” Mor said. “Let me speak to them, let me go to their palace—“ “No,” Azriel said. Mor raised her brows, a faint color stained Azriel’s tan face. But his features were set. His hazel eyes solid. “You’re not setting foot in that human realm.” “I fought in the War, you will do well to remember—“ “No,” Azriel said again, refusing to break her stare. His shifting wings rasped against the back of his chair. “They will string you up and make an example out of you.” (pg 391)

* Azriel stiffened, an outright sign of temper from him as he said quietly, “there is an innate darkness to the dread trove that Elain should not be exposed to.” (Page 311)

Blood duels

* “That’s an Autumn Court tradition.” The battle to the death was so brutal it was only enacted in rare cases. Despite being an outsider, Azriel had wanted to invoke it when he’d found Mor all those years ago. Had been ready to challenge both Beron and Eris to Blood Duels and kill them both. Only Mor’s right to claim their heads in vengeance had kept him from doing so.” (Azriel’s bonus chapter)

“Oh, I can, and I will. If Lucien finds out you’re pursuing her, he has every right to defend their bond as he sees fit. Including invoking the blood duel.” “Lucien as beron son, has the right to demand it of you.” “I’ll defeat him with little effort.”

Questioning about the mating bond

* “Azriel,” Rhys said, “has been preoccupied with the same female for the past five hundred years.” “Wouldn’t the mating bond have snapped into place for them if it exist?“ Rhys’s eyes shuttered. “I think that is a question Azriel has been asking himself every day since he met Mor.” (Page 259, ACOMAF)

* “The cauldron chose 3 sisters. Tell me how it’s possible that my 2 brothers are with 2 of the sisters, yet the third was given to another.” He had never before dared speak the words aloud. Rhys face drained of color. “You believe you deserve to be her mate?” Azriel scowled. “I think Lucien will never be good enough for her, and she has no interest in him anyway.” “So you’ll what?” Rhys voice was pure ice. “Seduce her away from him?” Azriel said nothing. He hadn’t gotten that far with his planning, certainly not beyond the fantasies he pleasured himself to. (Azriel’s bonus chapter)

Literally everything Azriel is doing with Elain, he has already done with Mor. It’s nothing new. Azriel questioning about why elain isn’t his mate is not no foreshadowing for them being one true mates or no BS like that because he’s done the same thing with Mor.

We can also see opposite things with mor and Azriel & Elain and Azriel. Azriel decided to avoid Elain but he was quick to agree to be around Mor. He was giving Mor such heated looks that even Feyre, as an outsider in acomaf can see and point out. And Mor was with several lovers. But Azriel, who has sexual feelings for Elain doesn’t even give her the same heated looks when they are with others and he was looking at elain with pity in ACOFAS and no one in this series likes to be pitied. He went out of his way to be closer to Mor, especially in acomaf as much as he can but has done the exact opposite with Elain in acosf.

It’s crazy how people ship Azriel and elain after Feyre said, “And I think Elain—Elain would like it too. Though she’d probably cling to Azriel, just to have some peace and quiet.” I smiled at the thought, how handsome they would be together.” But then she proceeded to say this right after “if the warrior ever stopped quietly loving Mor. I doubted it. Azriel would likely love Mor until he was a whisper of darkness between the stars. (Page 487, ACOMAF). There was no build up in acomaf of Elriel because it got shot right back down due to Mor. You would think elriels would hate Mor more than Gwyn.

And I’m suppose to think that Elain will be ok with Azriel’s behavior, his cruelty, his icy rage, his violence, when Mor who is a warrior herself, who knows violence gets scared of Azriel behavior.

* “Mor gets spooked. And what Az did today scare the shit out of her.” “The violence?” “The violence as a result of what he feels, lingering guilt over the deal with Eris—and what neither of them will face.” (Page 460, ACOWAR)

This is after the high lords meeting.

* she looked up at him, her face so trusting and hopeful and open that he knew she had no idea that he had done unspeakable things that sullied his hands far beyond their scars. Such terrible things that it was sacrilege for his fingers to touch her skin, tainting her with his presence. (Azriel’s bonus chapter)

Azriel knew that Elain only looked at him with trust because she doesn’t know what Azriel really does and who Azriel really is. We know that cruelty & the hewn city bothers Elain and Azriel is the embodiment of cruelty & the hewn city since that’s where he takes his victims and tortures them.

How people don’t see that Elain and Azriel is not a good fit is beyond me.

[areyoudreaminof]

Pork and Beans: WIP

In which Jurian tells Elain’s pet pig he’s going to eat her.

Lucien heard the shrieking beneath his feet before he saw anything. Looking down at the mud, a small pink piglet screamed at his boots. Her rump was covered in caked dirt as she posed to strike, her curly little tail thumping away. The piglet bucked on its haunches and zoomed around his legs with fury.

They didn’t have a pig, he was absolutely sure of that.

Dodging the squealing little demon, he shook off his muddy boots. “Would someone be so kind as to explain to me why there is a piglet in the yard?” Lucien asked the moment he crossed the threshold.

Elain and Jurian looked up from the papers spread out on the table. Elain’s eyes were wide with something like guilt, while Jurian’s lips were spread into a shit eating grin.

“So you’ve met Beanie, huh?” Jurian asked with a maniacal breath.

“If that’s the pig squealing in the mud, then yes I’ve met Beanie.” Lucien said, stunned. “But what’s it doing here?”

“We’re not calling her Beanie!” Elain snapped.

Jurian snorted, “Sure we are, because we’re going to eat her with beans.”

Elain huffed and tossed her hair and grumbled something. Lucien, still slack jawed, stood in the kitchen waiting for an explanation.

“You remember Lady Brighton? The widow who’s providing a fleet and has been using her sons to smuggle Scythian’s out of prison? Well, her grandson raises pigs, and he very kindly gave us one. We’re going to fatten her up and eat her.” Jurian said, smacking his lips for effect, “Some juicy, crispy bacon with eggs.”

Elain spun with fury, “We are not eating her. I am going to train her to hunt for mushrooms. Pigs are some of the most intelligent creatures!”

“Bacon also goes great with mushrooms.” Jurian shot back.

“Did someone say bacon?” Vassa’s voice beat her to the kitchen as she entered, wide eyed. “I haven’t had bacon in months.”

“Give it a few more months and we will have a whole store of bacon, my Queen.” Jurian said with a smug grin and a wink.

Elain turned her nose up, steadying her breathing as she put her hands on her hips. “There will be no bacon unless you go buy it somewhere else! Poppy is off limits.”

“Oh no, not a name! You actually didn’t name the food supply!” Jurian howled with laughter while Vassa swayed between them, deciding whose side she should take. Lucien still stood in the kitchen, utterly confused as Elain stopped past him into the yard where she began to coo at the little piglet.

“It is cute,” Vassa said with some uncertainty, “and pigs are quite smart.”

“Piglets are cute,” Jurian said with an air of false authority, “but pigs are tasty when they’re full grown. Honey bacon and beans over a fire?” The Mad General sighed like a boy in love.

“I should go check on Elain,” Lucien mumbled as he shuffled towards the back door once again.

The cool summer breeze met him again as he found Elain sitting cross legged on the muddy ground, the little piglet in her arms, scratching it’s neck. The little piglets eyes were closed in ecstasy, its curly tail wiggling as Elain mumbled to it.

“Aren’t you just the sweetest thing? We won’t eat you.”

Lucien knelt beside her, kissing her neck. “I know we had planned to wait, but I suppose we’re pig parents now.” he teased as he gave the pig a little scratch. The animal gave a satisfied little snort, and Lucien could swear he could see a smile on its face.

“Jurian is an idiot,” Elain huffed, “he actually giggled when Colin brought him over, and said she smelled tasty. Poor boy looked like he was going to cry. Send him over to Tamlin, it would do him some good.”

“Jurian would eat every morsel in the Spring Court,” Lucien laughed, still scratching the wiry white fur on the piglets neck. “Not much of a punishment.”

“Then I’ll put him on compost duty,” she sniffed daintily.

[nikethestatue]

Butter My Bread

Elriel Month 2023 (Glances and Touches)

Elain Archeron is cranky and hungry. All she wants is some toast and bread. During Rhysand's birthday celebration, she uses an unexpected utensil to finally get her bread buttered. And then, all hell breaks loose!

No warnings! Just nice clean fun

Elain Archeron did not like chaos.

Not at all. She didn’t like things to be messy. She didn’t like disorganisation. She didn’t like spills, or rips, or dirty dishes. She didn’t like dust, or grime, or water stains. And today, was just of those days.

The kitchen, the larder, the pantry were all a mess—cakes were being baked, crates of fruits and vegetables piled on the floor, berry juice smeared over the counter, and crumbs were on the huntboard. You know what else didn’t help? Cassian. Cassian, sweet and too big, in this space, pawing at food, ‘sampling’ tarts and pies, offering advice that no one needed, dropping things on the floor.

“You are interfering,” Cerridwen told him sternly.

Defensively, he argued, “I am assisting. Not interfering.”

“One man’s ‘assisting’ is another man’s ‘interfering’,” Nuala threw at him. “Do you want to get in trouble with Elain?”

“Petal loves me,” he told her with bold confidence.

“If you eat another of her blackberry tarts, she will cut off your arm,” Cerridwen just shrugged, as she offered the gruesome warning.

“Precisely. She makes them for Azriel,” the latter was whispered in a hushed tone by Nuala.

“Why is he getting blackberry tarts?” Cassian frowned jealously. “I want them too!”

Cerridwen sighed and then murmured in a sing-song tone, “She luuuurvvess him…”

Brows knitted, Cassian stared at her dumbly.

“Who?”

“Elain.”

“Loves who?” he repeated.

The twins rolled their eyes and Cassian roiled his back at them.

“Elain’s got a mate,” Cassian reminded them. “Lucien likes blackberry tarts?”

“Sure,” Nuala sighed dramatically. “She baked them for Lucien,”

Cassian’s eyes jumped between the two sisters and then he announced, “well, since no one here appreciates my input, I guess I will be on my way.

“I hope that you are all cooking Rhys’s favourites!”

“Oh don’t worry. Only the best for the High Lord.”

Just before he left the kitchen, Cassian paused and then turned and asked,

“Wait, are you saying that Elain likes Azriel?”

Cerridwen looked at him and asked, “What would give you that idea?”

He smirked to himself. Yes, exactly!

 *

It was Rhysand’s birthday.

Elain had spent the morning at the market, mostly to avoid listening to her sister getting railed by her mate. It was challenging—living with the two, now three of them. She appreciated the kindness, she loved baby Nyx and tending to him was her joy, but she always felt like an intruder. She was like a fifth leg on a dog—unnecessary, and ungainly.

And things have been even more uncomfortable lately, for a variety of reasons. She felt like she had no privacy, and with Fae’s acute scenting, she spent half of her time dodging her sister and Rhysand, or bathing. And Rhys was still watching her like a hawk, even two years after that Solstice. She’d learned how to navigate his suspicions, how to assuage his worries and how to dodge him, but she also existed in a permanent state of acute anxiety, which just didn’t help at all.

And what’s more, Cassian ate two of the blackberry tarts, and Elain was miffed. Ehhh…She was miffed at many things today, because the day wasn’t going well. She didn’t find fennel at the market, so her idea for a chicken dish with fennel and oranges went straight to Hel, and she was forced to think of something completely different on the spot. Elain liked to plan, so this wasn’t the way she enjoyed doing things.

She passed by the various stalls, the sight of meat and fish making her kind of queasy and the fact that she couldn’t make her chicken dish was making her upset.

“What’s wrong?”

Azriel’s soft, dark, husky voice startled her. How could a man so large, with his massive wings and enormous height, move so silently? How could he navigate among the shoppers and somehow, part them so smoothly, that Elain didn’t notice or sense him until the side of his arm was brushing against her body.

“Nothing,” was all she answered.

A smile touched his lips at her surly attitude and he pressed,

“Can I help?”

“No!”

He smiled again and then took her basket.

“Let me carry this,” he said. “Tell me what’s wrong, sunshine?”

Exasperated, she announced aggressively, “they don’t have any of the ingredients I need! I am running behind. I am hungry. Cass ate all the blackberry tarts!”

“What do you want to eat?” he asked at once.

“Nothing,” she said petulantly.

“Elain,” he prodded.

“What?” she snapped. “I don’t want anything from here. It all looks disgusting. I want toast!”

“Alright, let me get you some toast then,” he offered reasonably.

“They don’t have the toast that I want,” she argued, her lip almost wobbling from how upset she was. “I don’t want to do this birthday celebration. I want toast. I want toast with butter.”

He gently took her hand and pulled her alongside him.

“Let me get you some toast, beautiful,” he implored. “I don’t want you to be upset. It’s just bread,”

“It’s not just bread!” she stomped her foot. “I want it with butter. I want bread and butter. And I don’t want to do the birthday celebration. Rhysand doesn’t even like me,”

“That’s not true, sunshine,” Azriel argued gently, herding her away from the meat and the fish stalls. “He likes you very much,”

“No he doesn’t,” she insisted.

“He doesn’t like you with me,” he corrected. “Otherwise, he adores you.”

“So why am I baking him cakes and making him dinner if he is keeping me away from the only thing that I want in my life?”

Azriel’s sharp features softened and he stopped in the middle of the road, and gently brushed his knuckles over her cheek.

“Am I the only thing you want?”

“You know it,” she murmured, kissing the scarred skin of his hand. “The one and only.”

Azriel looked around and his eyes zoomed on the gorgeous display of fish and seafood.

“Why don’t we get a couple of these large salmon—everyone likes salmon, don’t they? Some of these scallops—Rhys’s favourite and then we can send them directly to the River Estate. And I can take you out and get you some toast,”

She considered everything he said, wrinkled her nose at the seafood, and then nodded with approval.

“With butter,” she warned.

“With butter.”

 *

Rhysand observed the gathering in front of him.

He was seated in an armchair, his arm firmly wrapped around his mate’s hip. Feyre, gorgeous in a pale blue gown, with her long hair loose and pinned with two diamond combs, lightly stroked his hand with hers, as she laughed at something with Mor. Mor’s already had a little too much to drink, and they haven’t even had dinner yet. It was something that he and Feyre had discussed before, on many occasions—Mor’s excessive drinking, which slowly, but surely morphed into controlled alcoholism. They’d have to address it with her. Eventually. Today wasn’t the day. Tonight was for celebrations, and not accusations or revelations.

Tonight, he wanted to enjoy being with the people that he loved.

He watched Lucien and Helion from the corner of his eye—their tentative, stilted conversation, as the two of them navigated their new reality. That of a father and son.

Rhysand wasn’t surprised by the fact that the news came as a shock to them both, and they didn’t rush into each other’s embrace letting all the bygones be bygones. It would take time. It was particularly difficult for Lucien, who struggled with being the seventh son of one High Lord, to becoming the heir apparent to another Court. All the while absorbing and dealing with the betrayal of his mother, who’d made choices that affected both him, and Helion. Rhys didn’t know what to think of the Lady’s decisions. He couldn’t judge her, but he also understood Lucien’s anger, for the male suffered for most of his life for sins not of his own making.

Rhys shifted in his seat, glancing at the loud red-headed Queen, who accompanied Lucien. The male had brass balls. He had the audacity to bring his apparent lover to this dinner, knowing fully that his mate would be here as well.

Rhys’s eyes moved on to the said mate—Elain. She sat by her favourite window, on the cushioned window seat, her back straight, her long golden-brown hair loose just like Feyre. There was a frown on Elain’s beautiful face, a sneer that she was attempting to hide, but evidently forgetting that it was there—bracketing her mouth, furrowing her brow. She’s been in a mood lately. He knew that she was avoiding him, and even Feyre. She took Nyxie to his playdates and cared for him when duties called Feyre away, but she preferred to take her meals on her own, or told them that she would be dining in the city. Feyre proposed that maybe Elain had a suitor, though he found the idea preposterous.

Unsurprisingly, Azriel made a quick, but determined stroll towards the object of his obsession. God, the male could never go for an available female! First it was Morrigan, who refused his advances, for whatever unknown reason. Though Rhys suspected that Mor wouldn’t be seen with a bastard born Illyrian, and therefore, cut her losses quickly. And now it was Elain, who had a mate. There were plenty of other—available—females out there, but Azriel insisted on pining for those he couldn’t have.

Whatever. Rhysand gave him an order and that was that. Azriel took an oath and it was his duty to serve his High Lord. Do his High Lord’s bidding. Even if Rhys felt marginally bad for his brother, he also understood that politically, this was wise. Elain was not Azriel’s. She wasn’t meant for him.

He watched Azriel whisper something close to her ear, and then offered her a glass of ice water.

“Are we getting to the table any time this year?!” Cassian groaned loudly and theatrically, not waiting for anyone else, including the High Lord/birthday boy.

“You’d think you haven’t eaten for a week,” Nesta snapped at him. “Wait up and let the others sit.”

Nothing changed between these two. Ever. They bickered and taunted each other, only to fall into some rapturous sexual adventure once they jacked one another up enough to start tearing their clothes off. The pairing was not Rhys’s favourite, but it was better than Elain and Azriel.

“Sorry if I’ve been saving up for this dinner!” Cassian patted his stomach. “I bet petal’s made all kinds of delicious things.”

Elain smiled at him, though it looked more like a scowl, and then got up from her window seat, with Azriel hovering behind her like a shadow.

Rhys wondered if Azriel knew how obvious he was?

But maybe not. Because apparently, Cassian still had no idea that Azriel desired Elain.

It was…messy.

Amren took her seat first, not waiting for anyone else, as if she was the hungriest of them all. Everyone knew that she’d barely eat anything.

At last, everyone was seated behind the lavishly decorated table and Cassian began pouring wine, laughing at something with Mor.

“To another 540 years of bliss, Rhysie!” Cassian raised his glass and wrapped his heavy arm around Rhys’s shoulders. Rhys sighed and whispered, “please don’t remind me…”

“Come on, brother! You are still a spring chicken!”

“Most of the days, I feel like a well-aged rooster that’s being fattened up for the next soup,”

Elain snorted a laugh—the first genuine one that Rhys had observed from her.

Feyre got up and cupped his face in her hands, before pressing her lips softly to his.

“Happy birthday, Rhysand darling.”

“Thank you, my love. And everyone who joined me tonight. You make my life complete.”

“Completely intolerable more like,” Helion joked, raising his glass as well.

“I wasn’t going to say that…but now that you mentioned it,” Rhys smirked and sat back down.

Nuala, Cerridwen and other servants began bringing platters of food out—smoked fish, Azriel’s beloved beet salad, carefully arranged boards of cheeses, cured meats and dried fruit, spicy meatballs that both Nesta and Elain loved, bread and butter.

The conversation fell into the usual back and forth of jokes, jabs, laughter, teasing, and stories.

It was both disturbing and adorable to watch Azriel hover over Elain like a mother hen, offering her this and that, though she only picked at some salad and didn’t lose her scowly expression. Whatever was bothering her, the dinner wasn’t making it much better.

“May I have the bread?” she asked Vassa, who was nearest to the breadbasket. Before Vassa heard her, the bread was snatched away by Helion, and then went over to Feyre.

“May I have the bread please?” Elain requested again, eyeing the basket hungrily.

“Hold on one sec, petal,” Cassian reached across the table, but the corner of his jacket swiped Elain’s silverware off the table and onto the floor.

“Oh fuck!” he cried out, “sorry!”

In the commotion and all the jostling, no one noticed how Elain got up and suddenly, her voice boomed loudly, an angry note to it,

“May I have the gods-damned bread! For fuck’s sake!”

Everything and everyone came to a complete halt. Elain using her voice this loudly was unheard of. Elain cursing and using bad language was shocking.

Azriel stood up abruptly and grabbed the bread, while everyone just stared in confusion.

It was what she did after she got a thick slice of crust bread that really lived on in the family lore.

Without batting an eye, Elain clasped the hilt of Truth Teller which was attached to Azriel’s thigh and pulled it out of the sheath, slamming it into the butter dish and smearing her bread with a heaping mound of butter.

While utensils dropped and clattered on the plates and the table and everyone just stared, mouths gaping, eyes wide, she slumped back down in her chair and bit into the slice with an audible pleasure-filled ‘mmm’.

Elain Archeron just used Truth Teller, with which she killed the King of Hybern, to butter her bread.

Azriel’s only reaction was to ask ‘good?’”

“So good!” she nodded eagerly, chomping the bread down like she hasn’t eaten in a month.

Mor began choking on her salmon loudly, while Helion was slapping her back, everyone was looking around, like lost children, while Azriel tore off another generous slice of bread for Elain, who used Truth Teller to smear butter on it.

“I hope it’s disinfected,” Nesta wrinkled her nose, watching the blade spread soft butter over the bread.

“it’s fine,” Elain waved her hand. Chewing contently, she asked Mor, “are you alright?”

Mor was still gasping for air, with Feyre and Helion hovering over her, and Lucien pouring her a glass of water.

Amren was chuckling.

Rhysand was feeling perplexed. Like something was happening around him, and he didn’t understand what it was. A secret that he was not privy to.

Mor finally caught her breath, panting loudly, her beautiful face red and sweaty. She collapsed back in her chair, watching Elain and Azriel, while Elain was busy with her bread.

“What would you do if I was choking?” Elain suddenly asked with a grin, looking directly at Az.

Azriel almost choked himself on his wine and then said quickly, absently, his eyes on Mor, “Pull back a little…or release your throat,”

“Wha-?” Cassian’s eyes bugged out and the rest of the table turned to the shadowsinger now, staring at him with confusion and incomprehension.

“What are you talking about?” Feyre queried, puzzlement on her lovely, soft face. “You shouldn’t even be touching her throat if she is choking,”

Elain squirmed in her seat, her cheek bright red, and a light sheen of sweat sprung over Azriel’s temples, while Rhys’s eyes became as big as saucers.

“Feyre darling,” he reached out to drag his fingers over Feyre’s cheek. “What Az means to say is,”

“I am having a baby,” Azriel declared loudly, his voice both panicked and excited. His gaze found Elain’s wide, shocked doe eyes and he smiled at her, before saying, “Elain…Elain is having a baby. We are having a baby.”

Complete silence engulfed the air around them. Such deafening silence that everyone’s rapid breaths sounded like gongs. Amren grinned like a fiend. A deep crease originated between Nesta’s eyebrows as she glared at Azriel.

“Wait, what? I am confused,” Cassian broke the silence at last, his head pinging back and forth, seeking answers. “What baby?”

“Azriel!” Rhys rose from his chair, his look both enraged and horrified. “What did you do?!”

“Yes, I’d like to know that as well,” Lucien shrieked from the other side of the table.

Azriel gently placed his large, scarred hand over Elain’s flat belly and said,

“Save it, Rhysand,”

“Wait, I don’t understand,” Cassian repeated helplessly. “Why are you having a babe with Elain? What’s that mean? “It means,” Nesta snapped angrily, “that he impregnated Elain! That’s what it means! He took her dishonourably and,”

“Wait a minute!” Elain slapped her palm over the table, so that the dishes jumped and the glasses clanged, “he did not take me dishonourably!”

“Flower,” Azriel cautioned her gently, trying to pull her back, but she glared at them all and suddenly twisted her finger and showed the crowd a ring that adorned her finger. It was a hefty thing, with a large square sapphire and diamonds around it.

“We are married,” she said softly.

A tense beat of even more shock, more surprise, more of everything fell on the table.

In the doorway, the wraith twins stood silently, both grinning.

A whoop of such utter joy and love tore from Cassian’s lungs, as he tackled both Elain and Azriel in his massive arms, lifting them off the floor that even Rhys stopped in his tracks.

“You got your girl, Az.”

Azriel, looking emotional, nodded, pressing his face into his friend’s neck.

“I got my girl,” he confirmed breathlessly.

Cassian pulled him closer, embracing him tightly.

“The one that’s for you!”

“Yes. My girl. The only one for me.”

“We made it, brother,” Cassian gasped, tears streaming down his sharp cheekbones, as he squeezed Azriel’s face in his hands.

Azriel stepped into his brother embrace, wrapping his arms around the general, and whispered, “We made it, Cass. We really did. And now, I finally have my girl and my babe.”

Elain stood next to them, wiping her own tears, while the two greatest Illyrian warriors wrapped their arms around her, kissing the top of her head together, at once.

“Now, can someone please get my pregnant wife some toast?” Azriel asked, holding her to him, and never letting go.

[lanitalay]

In the Woods Somewhere

Lucien x reader 

A/n: I am a Hozier girly and this song just screams Lucien to me. Enjoy.

Warnings: angst

Word count: 1.1k

When I awoke

The moon still hung

The night so black that the darkness hummed

A gasp broke through the delicate quiet of the night. Clutch your chest, heart pounds. Shallow and jagged breathing cloud your ears. It's all you can feel. All you can hear. You don’t know how long it's been since you were unconscious. Or how you ended up in the middle of the woods. 

I raised myself

My legs were weak

I prayed my mind be good to me

Calm now, you were calm. Check for wounds. Assess the situation. Feel around for your weapon. Find the dagger next on the ground. Sticky blood coating the blade. Slowly stand, try to avoid rustling any leaves. Feel trapped. Caged in by the walls of darkness, the moon a spotlight on your worst nightmare. They were getting closer, closing. The darkness now comes from above as a dense cloud blocks the moonlight. A coffin. The forest would be your final resting place. It was fair, you thought. The forest provides life but it also takes it. Eats up everything within, eventually. You feel wiggling underneath and over your feet. Worms. 

An awful noise

Filled the air

I heard a scream in the woods somewhere

He had heard the scream and ran towards it. These were his woods, his forest. But they were also his brother’s. His father’s. The scream reminded him of nights spent being flogged, blood splattered on maple trees and sadistic, power hungry laughter. So he ran, dodging trees and boulders and low branches from memory. He and the forest were one and the same, an extension of one another. 

A fox it was

He shook, afraid

I spoke no words, no sound he made

Dagger points in the direction of the rustling. The sound of crunching leaves nearing you by the second. You took a defensive position and hoped it was an animal. The noise stopped as quickly as it started. The lid from your casket lifted and the moon soaked the male face in front of you. 

He raises his hands “I mean you no harm”, he says in a low voice. The dagger stays in place “where am I?” 

 “This is the Hickory Groves”

“What’s your name?” 

“Lucien”. Vanserra. He didn’t have to say it and you knew enough of the High Lord’s heirs to know you were in danger. Killing him was not an option. Running would make it a chase. So you  standstill. Knife pointed at his heart. 

“I mean you no harm” he repeats, low, gentle. 

The Hickory Groves… the part of autumn that borders Spring. Where females of all ages get discarded by their families, elders or, in your case, lover. The top of the coffin gets brought down again. You gulp. Foxes like to play with their food. If he was here it was for no good reason. 

A small flame appears from one of his raised hands and you can see him again, more clearly now. He was handsome. At least you’d die at the hand of a pretty bastard. A miniscule mercy. His claws and fangs more preferable than the other creatures that stalk these woods. 

I saw new eyes were watching me

The creature lunged

I turned and ran

To save a life I didn't have

Lucien remained still. You had not moved an inch in what felt like an age. Slow, calculating steps circled you. He extinguished the flame. You had seen enough. When the steps sounded like they were right behind him you turned and ran as fast as you could in the opposite direction. Leaving Lucien in between you and the creature. 

Deer in the chase

There as I flew

Forgot all prayers of joining you

As you ran you heard the sound of a struggle. The thud of a fallen body. Then more steps racing. You zig zag and try to lose the hunter. The first rays of sun guide you towards the edge of the forest. You run and run and promise yourself that when you reach the valley whatever is following you will disappear. A pathetic wish of a desperate girl. But when you see more rays, the sky littered in pink and peach hues you run faster. The valley looks endless, mist coats the furry hills, green leaves fade to red in the distance. The steps had ceased, you notice but half way through a sigh of relief a towering figure appears next to you. Your heart stops.

“You’re a fast runner” 

“I thought you dropped dead”

“That was not me, to the dismay of some” 

“What is a lordling doing in the Grove of Rejects?” He snorts at the question “Is that what you call this place?” You shrug “everyone in my village knows that if you want to get rid of someone you send them here”. 

“You were sent here?” 

“Scrapped is more like it” 

“By who?” 

“Curious? I think it was a male from my village. He thought me too poor to marry but good enough to bed”

“Why bring you here?”

“I have a bit of a reputation for having a… temper. He must not want to face my wrath. Not that he had anything to worry about, I thought him too much of a brute to marry. Now though… I’ll gut him for this”

I clutched my life

And wished it kept

My dearest love, I'm not done yet

Warm skin presses against your back and drapes across your waist.  

“What did you think of me when we first met?” 

“I was sure you wanted to kill me”

“You were the one with the knife” 

“You were chasing me” 

“I’m still chasing you”

“You have me” 

“Do I really?” You tense. Lucien had taken it upon himself to deal with the male that dropped you in the middle of the woods that day. Ever since he had visited you under the guise of a routine check up on one of the more isolated villages of the Autumn Court.

He visited frequently enough that you became friendly. He stayed late enough that you became intimate. 

Turn to face him. Graze his cheek with the palm of your hand and savor the warmth that radiates within his caramel skin. Raw eyes pierce your own. He wants you. He wants this and he wants more. 

“A bride of Autumn has no happy life” he knew it. He saw his mother cry.

“We could leave it all behind” you place a shaky finger on his swollen lips. 

“One day, my love, but not today” 

How many years

I know I'll bear

I found something in the woods somewhere

[yeyayeya]

I’ve wanted to make this post for a while but wanted to wait until the dub was officially over so

My Final Thoughts on the TGCF Season 2 English Dub

Howard Wang as Xie Lian is fucking perfect. Every single time he spoke it just, I don’t know how to properly put it into words, except it is so well done?? But when XL started basically having a mental breakdown in front of Hua Cheng after Lang Qianqiu found out about the truth of the Gilded Banquet, holy fuck did the emotions just hit me in the feels. The scream and he emotional fatigue after? Xie Lian’s voice is perfection omg

Shoutout to James Cheek for just voicing the gayest character ever (Hua Cheng) and writing the gayest script for TGCF. While I liked his voice in the first season, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of it. It wasn’t until the second season where almost everything improved, and James’s voice for Hua Cheng? *chef’s kiss*. Okay but at least tone down the gayness a bit. And seeing someone who has read the novel and having little easter eggs for the novel readers for them to go insane over is incredible. I’m going to miss his voice in Season 3 since they’re going to have to cast someone else as Hong’er, but that’s ok.

Male and Female Shi Qingxuan: OMG??? Perfect casting. I just know they both put so much effort into them and I am eternally grateful. They just sound like the best of friends (they are). Every single line from them was so fucking iconic, which is accurate to the Wind Master’s character. I love both their voices so much you don’t understand.

Lang Qianqiu: AAHHHHH. My son, my boy, they gave him justice and I am so happy. First read through of TGCF, I only cared for HuaLian, but reading it again has made me appreciate and fall in love with the side characters, with Lang Qianqiu being one of them. I’ll say it did take a bit for me to adjust to it, but he sounds so much like an anime protagonist that I am ok with it. Another perfect casting. I’m going to be so fucking sad that he won’t appear for such a long time, and while he does get brought up occasionally, his last appearance is going to be the finale. I’ll miss you my son 😔

Jun Wu: ASDFGHJKL. He sounds like such a manipulative/toxic ex and a father figure at the same time. wtf. But his voice is so sexy tho. I don’t like it but I do. And I thought his original Chinese voice was hot, and then the English one goes and surprises me. I hate that I love it

Qi Rong: Perfection, glorious, fucking incredible. HIS VA IS PERFECT. Original was slaying so hard, and English? Fucking killing it. He was actually the one I was looking forward to the most, and he 👏 did 👏 not👏 disappoint. I won’t get over the perfect casting. Ever. The crazy and mad laughs? The insults I’ve never heard about but decided to keep in mind? Literally everything. I’m sorry I can’t get over how great his voice is

Feng Xin and Mu Qing (of course together): I am so biased towards Lucien Dodge, so I immediately loved his voice for him. He slaying that tsundere cat boy vibe so well. I will admit that his voice made me like his character more tbh. Ok but Feng Xin’s? Every time I hear it, I always need at least 30 seconds to get used to it. Idk why. I don’t hate it, and I actually love it, but he sounds so much like a dad it’s so funny. I still love him tho.

Pei Ming: 😳. No but that was actually my reaction to his voice. Why is every single god’s voice so hot. Please calm down. I really did not like Pei Ming at first but damn. I can actually understand why every single woman went weak with him.

Ling Wen: While she didn’t get as much dialogue this season, I’ll still count her. I’ve heard some drama relating to her voice actress from a while back but I’m not bringing it up rn. But her English voice is almost exactly the same as the original, just, different languages of course. She has such a unique voice and it’s quite pleasing to hear. She also sounds a bit like Siri but it fits her character

Other major characters that got only a few lines but still slayed their roles (Ming Yi, Pei Xiu, Jian Lan, Yin Yu): Hello?? Can I be patient to hear their voices again? Probably not, but please I need more of them. Ming Yi sounded hot since he took voice lessons from Hua Cheng, Pei Xiu sounded like such a little wet cat (wtf where did this crush on him come from), Jian Lan slayed because she is such an underrated queen, and Yin Yu? I WAS NOT EXPECTING A DEEP VOICE FROM WTF. I will say I do prefer his Chinese VA a little more due to it being more in character with him sounding soft and somewhat tired. But I enjoy his confident and announcing voice. They should keep him for the QuanYin flashbacks.

All in all, perfect cast. I don’t have twitter/X but I see things from the VA’s from time to time. And seeing them interact with the fandom and trying to give more to their characters makes me so happy. I just desperately need for more of the characters to have voices (aka Shi Wudu, Quan Yizhen, Mei Nianqing, Yushi Huang, Male!Ling Wen, White-No-Face). Give me more please.

Please check out the dub it’s so fucking great.

[chiamew]

since billy isn't animated yet, do you have any imaginings on how his voice might sound?

YES I DO I THINK ABOUT THIS ALL THE TIME

ok so for the jp I have two that fit my vision:

Tomohiro Yamaguchi as Niki Shiina (Ensemble Stars!!)

example one • example two (watch from 5:00 to 5:58 for niki on the second one) (also listen to the full song you won't regret it.....niki my love)

and Megumi Ogata as Hanako-kun (Toilet Bound Hanako-kun)

example (its a tad higher than I tend to imagine but it captures the tone I think he'd have)

and for English I'd think Lucien Dodge as Kenji Miyazawa (Bungou Stray Dogs)

example (I imagine this but like with a country accent or whatever)

[fluffykitkat]

So does anyone also think about the fact the English VA for Mahito and ino who’s Lucien dodge and the VA for Uraume who’s Erica Mendez are married? Just me?

I love voice actor facts🫶🏻